Cellular automaton eco-systems the simple way to simulate

European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology 2011
Wojciech Borkowski
Center for Complex Systems, Institute for Social Studies, University
of Warsaw
e-mail: [email protected]
Cellular automaton eco-systems the simple way to simulate
macroevolution
Keywords: Macroevolution; Coevolution; Individual-based models; Predator-Prey;
Cellular automata; Artificial life; Phylogenetic Trees; Food Networks;
In this short talk I will present a simple lattice, cellular automaton like model of a
multi-species ecosystem suitable for the study of emergent properties of macroevolution. In this model the number of species is not fixednew species continuously
emerge by mutation from existing species, then survive or extinct depending on the
energetic balance between local ecological interactions. The Monte-Carlo numerical
simulations show that this model is able to qualitatively reproduce phenomena that
have been empirically observed, like the dependence between size of the isolated
area and the number of species inhabiting there or between primary production and
complexity of food network. The model allows also studying formation and transformation of food-networks, influence of general factors (like intensity of primary
productions) and possible causes of mass extinctions, and more generally, the role
of ecological rules and pure chance in macroevolution. Some results were published
jet (see below), some new will be presented.
HOMEPAGE: www.iss.uw.edu.pl/borkowski/
References
[1] Borkowski, W., 2009. Simple Lattice Model of Macroevolution. Planet. Space Sci. Vol. 57. No.
4, pp.: 498-507, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2008.10.001
[2] Borkowski W., 2008. Cellular automata model of macroevolution. In Proceedings of
the Fourteenth National Conference on Application of Mathematics in Biology and
Medicine (pp. 18-25), Uniwersytet Warszawski, QPrint Warszawa 2008, ISBN: 83-903893-4-7
(arXiv:0902.3919v1)
[3] Borkowski W., Nowak A., 2009. Zastosowanie modelu samoorganizacji ekosystemów do wyjaśniania zróżnicowania kulturowego zachowa społecznych. In Układy Złożone w Naukach
Społecznych - wybrane zagadnienia, pp.: 233-274, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar, Warszawa.
ISBN: 978-83-7383-371-4 (in Polish)
[4] Borkowski W., 2008. Powtarzalność ewolucji w naturze, kulturze i... informatyce. (Repeatability of Evolution in nature, culture and computer science) TEKSTY z ULICY nr 12 (pp. 7-28),
Uniwersytet Śląski, OFFMAX, Katowice 2008, ISBN: 978-83-87248-16-1 (in Polish)
[5] Borkowski W., 2006. Ewolucyjna droga do złożoności. (Evolutionary way to complexity) TEKSTY z ULICY nr 10 (pp. 7-24), Uniwersytet Śląski, OFFMAX, Katowice 2006, ISBN: 8387248-13-4 (http://www.memetyka.pl/dokumenty/pliki/zm10_1.pdf) (in Polish)
1